Delivery of an Instant Voice Message in a Wireless Network Using the Sms Protocol

1. In a wireless communication system, a method of initiating delivery of a voice message to a recipient wireless station, comprising: receiving an instant voice message at a message server from a sender device, the voice message designating a recipient; storing the instant voice message in an interactive voice response (IVR) system associated with the message server; determining whether a recipient wireless station associated with the designated recipient is enabled for Short Message Service (SMS) messages; initiating transmission of a Short Message Service (SMS) notification to the recipient wireless station, the SMS notification including information permitting the recipient wireless station to access the IVR system; and in response to the IVR system receiving a request for the stored instant voice message, transmitting the stored instant voice message from the IVR system to the recipient wireless station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information permitting the recipient wireless station to access the IVR system comprises a telephone number associated with the IVR system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information permitting the recipient wireless station to access the IVR system further comprises an identifier associated with the instant voice message stored in the IVR system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating transmission of the SMS message comprises polling an SMS message generation mechanism for an acknowledgment of recognition of an MDN associated with the recipient wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instant voice message is received by a message server in the wireless network, the method further comprising sending the instant voice message from the message server to the IVR system for storage.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the message server directing an SMS controller in the wireless network to initiate the transmission of the SMS notification.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the message server directing a gateway to instruct an SMS controller in the wireless network to initiate the transmission of the SMS notification.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the IVR system directing an SMS controller or gateway in the wireless network to initiate the transmission of the SMS notification.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein: storing the message in an IVR system comprises storing a Mobile Directory Number (MDN) in the IVR system, the MDN identifying the recipient wireless station; and the method further comprises: receiving the request for the stored instant voice message; and authenticating the recipient using at least one of an MDN encoded in a telephone call from the recipient and a password provided by the recipient.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a second instant voice message from the sender device, the second instant voice message designating a different, second recipient; and in response to determining that a second recipient wireless station associated with the second recipient is capable of directly receiving the second instant voice message, directly transmitting the second instant voice message to the second recipient wireless station without transmitting the second instant voice message to an interactive voice response system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SMS notification further includes information identifying the sender of the instant voice message.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SMS notification further includes information describing a subject of the instant voice message.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instant voice message is created by the sender without requiring the sender to first attempt to establish a live telephone call with the recipient.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating transmission of the SMS notification and transmitting the stored instant voice message from the IVR system to the recipient wireless station are conducted without requiring the recipient wireless station to have any particular communication capabilities for receiving voice messages other than being SMS-enabled.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating transmission of the SMS notification and transmitting the stored instant voice message from the IVR system to the recipient wireless station are conducted without requiring the recipient wireless station to operate on the same wireless network as the sender device.

16. In a server of a wireless network, a method of initiating delivery of an instant voice message to a recipient wireless station, comprising: in response to an instant voice message addressed to a designated recipient being stored in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, determining whether a database associated with the server indicates whether a recipient wireless station associated with the designated recipient is enabled for Short Message Service (SMS) messages; if it is determined that the database indicates that the recipient wireless station is enabled for SMS messages, transmitting an SMS message to the recipient wireless station, the SMS message including instructions for accessing the instant voice message stored in the IVR system; and if it is determined that the database does not indicate whether the recipient wireless station is enabled for SMS messages: communicating with one or more interfaces to determine whether the recipient wireless station is capable of receiving SMS messages from any of the one or more interfaces; and if it is determined that the recipient wireless station is capable of receiving SMS messages from one of the one or more interfaces, transmitting an SMS message to the recipient from said one of the one or more interfaces, the SMS message including instructions for accessing the instant voice message stored in the IVR system.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein: the one or more interfaces includes at least two interfaces; and communicating with the one or more interfaces comprises communicating with the at least two interfaces in parallel.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein: the one or more interfaces includes at least two interfaces; and communicating with the one or more interfaces comprises communicating with the at least two interfaces in sequence.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more interfaces includes a native SMS gateway, a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) SMS gateway and a SMS controller.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, if it is determined that the database indicates that the recipient wireless station is not enabled for SMS messages, transmitting an error message to a sender device associated with a sender of the instant voice message.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, if it is determined that the database does not indicate whether the recipient wireless station is enabled for SMS messages, updating the database to indicate whether the recipient wireless station is enabled for SMS messages after communicating with one or more interfaces.

22. In a wireless station that operates in a wireless network, a method of accessing an instant voice message, comprising: receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) message that includes instructions for accessing an instant voice message stored in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, wherein the instant voice message is associated with a first mobile directory number that is provided by a sender of the instant voice message; in response to the performance of the instructions, accessing the IVR system; providing a second mobile directory number to the IVR system from a recipient wireless station; and using the IVR system, accessing the instant voice message stored in the IVR system if the second mobile directory number is the same as the first mobile directory number.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the instructions comprise a telephone number of the IVR system.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein accessing the IVR system comprises receiving input from a user of the wireless station who has manually entered the telephone number into the wireless station.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein accessing the IVR system is performed in response to the wireless station automatically dialing the telephone number.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein using the IVR system comprises transmitting information that allows the IVR system to authenticate the wireless station.

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the information that allows the IVR system to authenticate the wireless station comprises a password.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the password has been selected by a recipient who uses the wireless station when the recipient previously accessed another instant voice message from the IVR system.

29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the information that allows the IVR to authenticate the wireless station comprises a Mobile Directory Number (MDN) associated with the wireless station, the IVR system having a copy of the MDN, thereby permitting the IVR system to authenticate the wireless station.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein using the IVR system, accessing the instant voice message stored in the IVR system if the second mobile directory number is the same as the first mobile directory number further comprises at least one of: enabling the recipient to establish a password for future instant voice messages; or accessing the instant voice message stored in the IVR system using the password and without requiring the first mobile directory number to be the same as the second mobile directory number if the recipient has previously established a password.

31. In a wireless network in which a sender can initiate delivery of instant voice messages to recipients, a method for determining whether an instant voice message can be sent to a potential new recipient, comprising: receiving input from a sender identifying a potential new recipient; in response to the input, determining whether SMS messages can be sent to the recipient by: communicating to one or more interfaces to determine whether the potential new recipient has a recipient wireless station with a capability of receiving SMS messages from any of the one or more interfaces; and if it is determined that the recipient has the recipient wireless station with the capability of receiving SMS messages from any of the one or more interfaces, updating a database in the wireless network indicating said capability of the recipient wireless station.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the input comprises the sender adding the potential new recipient to a contact list.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the input comprises the sender requesting delivery of a voice message to the potential new recipient.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein communicating to one or more interfaces comprises sending to the one or more interfaces a Mobile Directory Number (MDN) identifying the recipient wireless station.

35. In a wireless communication system, a method for delivering an instant voice message to a recipient wireless station, the method comprising: receiving an instant voice message at a message server that designates a recipient, wherein the instant voice message is created at a sender device without placing a call to the recipient; storing, by the message server, the instant voice message at an interactive voice response system, wherein the interactive voice response system is not a voicemail system associated with the recipient; transmitting a Short Message Service (SMS) message to the recipient wireless station, the SMS message including information enabling the recipient to access the interactive voice response system; and transmitting the stored instant voice message from the interactive voice response system to the recipient upon authenticating a request for the stored instant voice message from the recipient.